Gemini
by bluephoenixsong
Summary: What would a father do for his only daughter? How far is he willing to go, just so she can finally be alone? How far can his love stretch?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so this is a semi-spinoff of my series "The Intern." This idea came to me one day but it just seemed a little too farfetched for me, and those of you who are frequent readers of my material know I like keeping things as realistic as possible. But I wrote it out just for fun and I kind of like how it turned out. I knew I wanted it to be a crossover with another CSI series so I picked New York. Normally I don't watch CSI New York, but just before I wrote this I watched a couple of episode, mostly because Horatio was in those episodes, and I had read a fanfict that was a crossover with Horatio and Mac. So I decided to actually write a Miami-New York crossover.**

**This story's kind of short, only seven chapters in total, but it moves quickly. It does coincide a little with my Jessica/Ryan series. Jessica Caine is in this one, but Ryan isn't until the end. Jessica and Horatio's past together is relevant to this story. I tried to include the information needed for anyone who might not have read my Jessica/Ryan series, but I didn't want to fill it up with too much useless chatter.**

**Ok, done rambling. Enjoy!**

* * *

Gemini:  
Dr. Caine and Ms. Johnson  
Chapter One

* * *

Horatio and Jessica Caine walked through the Chicago Police Station. They took in all the new sights and sounds of the busy office.

"This place has changed so much since the last time we were here," Jessica commented as they passed by Horatio's old desk.

"Well that was fifteen years ago, Jess," Horatio chuckled. "I would imagine a lot has changed."

"One thing hasn't."

"What's that?"

"Crawford's still Lieutenant. I thought he was retiring five years ago."

"Well apparently he decided otherwise."

They entered an empty conference room. They leaned against the table, just chatting about old memories of a life they had long since left behind. A tall man with gray hair entered the room and smiled at them.

"Is that little Jessica?" Lieutenant Crawford said as he wrapped his arms around Jessica's shoulders. "My goodness, the last time I saw you I don't think you were even five feet tall."

Jessica giggled as he kissed her cheek.

"And I'm pretty sure the last time I saw you your hair was still on your head," she said.

"Hey, I've got plenty," Crawford said, running his hand over his thinning hair. "It's just not as boastful as it used to be."

"Crawford," Horatio said, shaking the man's hand.

"Caine, I hear you're Lieutenant now, down in Miami."

"Yes, for ten years now."

"You know, if you had stayed with me a little longer you would have made Lieutenant up here."

"Yes, but I had my reasons for leaving."

"It was Izzy, wasn't it?" Crawford inquired. "You couldn't live with her ghost anymore."

"Yes, Izzy was one reason," Horatio quietly said.

"Well what are we standing around here for?" Crawford said in a brighter tone. "Let's get out to the crime scene. The guys from New York haven't arrived yet, but I don't think they'll mind if we get a head start."

"New York?" Jessica said, "Sounds fun."

"Should be," Crawford said. "The guy we're after seems to have made a brief stop in New York City before coming to Chicago."

"What was his mistake?" Horatio asked as they climbed into a patrol car.

"Killing an off duty officer," Crawford somberly answered. He looked over his shoulder at Jessica in the backseat. "Well this seems familiar," he chuckled as he started the car. "Should we stop by the juvenile detention center, too? I bet they still have your old room reversed especially for you, Jessica."

"Hey, I didn't spend that much time there," Jessica retorted.

"Only twelve months out of the year," Crawford chuckled as he drove down the street.

* * *

Mac Taylor stared out the window of the police SUV as the tall buildings of Chicago passed him by.

"I haven't been to Chicago in years," Stella said from the front seat. "I just wish it was for a better reason."

The SUV came to a halt. Mac and Stella climbed out together and followed the Chicago officer over to where a tall man with gray hair was talking to a redhead. Mac smiled when he recognized the man immediately.

"Detective Taylor and Detective Bonasera," the officer accompanying Mac said to him, "Lieutenant Crawford, Chicago PD and Lieutenant Caine, Miami Dade PD."

Mac shook Crawford's hand and smiled when he grasped Horatio's hand.

"Horatio Caine," Mac said, "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Lieutenant and Dr. Caine will also be helping with the investigation," Crawford quickly explained. "This guy started in Miami and worked his way here."

"Dr. Caine?" Mac said quizzically. "You got married, Horatio?"

"Well, yes, actually I did," Horatio quietly said, "But my wife was murdered."

"Then who's…" Mac's gaze drifted across the grass of the Chicago Park to where a young blonde woman stood talking to the couple who had found the body.

"My daughter," Horatio said, not needing to turn to know where Mac was looking.

"I didn't know you had a daughter," Stella commented.

"I never felt it was necessary to mention," Horatio quietly responded.

"Caine's a bit protective of his girls," Crawford commented.

"Girls?" Stella repeated. "There's another one?"

"Well, there was another one," Horatio nearly whispered. "Jessica had a twin, but Elizabeth died just shy of their fifteenth birthday."

"Oh no," Stella quietly said, "What happened?"

"I'd rather not discuss it," Horatio said. He looked away, his eyes locking on his daughter for a moment before he began walking in the opposite direction.

"He's kind of sensitive about the subject of Izzy," Crawford quietly said. "I don't think he would willingly talk about her even if you water boarded him."

"That's a rather bold statement," Stella said.

Mac stood there alone as Stella and Crawford walked away. He looked at the young blonde woman as she vigorously jotted notes. His gaze wandered over to where the redheaded Lieutenant knelt beside the body of a woman not much younger then his daughter. Though he hardly knew either, something rattled Mac deep within. Something at the very core of his body.

* * *

"Wow, now that's a Tiffany ring if I ever saw one," Stella said as Jessica pulled off her gloves. Jessica's cheeks flushed slightly as she stuffed her gloves into an evidence envelope.

"Um, thanks," she quietly said. "It was a gift."

"From your boyfriend," Stella said, no inflection in her voice indicating a question.

"Yes," Jessica shyly answered.

"Was it for the big question?" Stella continued to prod.

"No, just a promise ring."

"But you love him."

Jessica smiled again and looked down at her hand. The light danced off the pink stone beautifully as it sparkled brighter then ever.

"Yes, I do," she whispered.

"What's his name?" Stella inquired.

"Ryan Wolfe," Jessica quietly answered.

"You two meet at the crime lab?"

"Yes, and if anyone asks we're either engaged or not together."

"What about your father?"

"Oh he found out the hard way," Jessica quietly said.

"How?" Stella inquired.

"Well, let's just say one of Ryan's neighbors was murdered and Horatio went to use his bathroom and may have found one of my t-shirts in his laundry hamper."

"Oh dear, not a good way to find out one of your staff is dating your only daughter."

"Or that you're dating the boss's daughter."

"Ryan didn't know Horatio's your father?"

"No, I didn't use my legal last name when I began at the crime lab."

"Didn't want everyone knowing you're the big boss's little girl?"

"I wanted to keep it on the down low for as long as possible."

Stella couldn't help but laugh. She shook her head and smiled at Jessica.

"You remind me exactly of your father."

* * *

"You sure this is where the guy's staying?" Mac inquired as the unmarked Chicago Police car pulled up outside an abandoned house that was under construction.

"This is where the anonymous tip led us," Crawford replied.

"Alright, let's kick some bad guy ass," Jessica said as she pulled back the slide on her glock, making sure the chamber was loaded.

The police squad crept through the dark. Mac and Jessica went around the west side of the house with an officer, while Horatio and Stella went around the east side with Crawford. When everyone was in place an officer pounded on the front door, announcing their presence. They could hear something crashing and banging inside the house. The Chicago officer kicked in the front door, just as another kicked in the west side door.

Jessica and Mac rushed into the house with the other Chicago officers, scanning each room. Mac followed Jessica, knowing she could hear something that he couldn't. They rushed into a room and quickly began scanning.

"I don't see anything," Mac said.

"But I heard something rustle in here," Jessica said a little winded.

Shots rang out from somewhere and Mac dropped to his knees, clutching at his abdomen.

"Mac!" Jessica exclaimed as she spun around.

Mac gasped for air and looked at where Jessica stood. He raised his gun and fired, but not before a two by four crashed against the side of Jessica's head and she collapsed to the ground.

The man tried to run from the room. Mac struggled to his feet, still trying to regain the oxygen in his lungs. He fired three more times, each time hitting the man square in the back. The man fell to the ground and lay motionless as a pool of blood formed beneath him.

Mac limped back to where Jessica lay on the ground. She had a gash on the right side of her head and blood running from her nose and ear. He placed his hand on her neck and sighed in relief when he found a pulse.

Horatio clambered into the room and collapsed beside his daughter.

"Is she…" he began, unable to form words.

"Alive, but unconscious," Mac said, still panting for air. "He hit her with that two by four."

Horatio sighed and gently stroked Jessica's hair. He looked back at Mac, noting the sweat coating the other man's face.

"Are you alright?" he inquired.

"I'll be fine," Mac said, running his hand over his bullet proof vest. "The Kevlar took the bullets."

"But you still took the hit," Stella said as she entered the room.

"I'm fine," Mac said again. "Just give me a few hours and I'll be as good as new."

Stella laughed and shook her head. "Tough as nails," she said as she stepped aside for the paramedics.

* * *

Horatio smiled as his daughter groaned. Her eyelids fluttered but she closed her eyes again. She turned her head towards Horatio as she moaned in pain.

"Daddy?" she said in a small, whispery voice.

"I'm right here, Bug," Horatio reassuringly said, as he continued to stroke her hair.

"Daddy, what happened?"

"You took a two by four to the head," Horatio softly explained.

"What about Mac?"

"He's fine, the bullets didn't penetrate his vest."

"Where is he?"

"Working on being discharged; his injuries were minor. He just got a once over to make sure there wasn't any internal damage."

"Good, I'm glad he's ok," Jessica whispered. She sighed and her hand instinctively found his. She held it tightly as Horatio's other hand continued to gently run over her head.

"Hey, you're awake," Stella said as she and Mac entered the room. "I was beginning to worry about you."

Jessica smiled weakly and turned her head towards Stella's voice, her eyes still closed.

"I'll be fine," she said in her soft voice.

"Unfortunately not well enough to fly home right away, from what I hear," Stella said.

Jessica groaned and squeezed Horatio's hand hard.

"You mean we have to stay here longer?"

"Not any longer then what we were going to," Horatio said. "I still need to help close the investigation."

"Then find a nurse and get me out of here," Jessica said, almost demanded.

"Sorry, Bug, no more work while you're here. You have a rather bad concussion. You need to rest."

"I hate the hospital."

"Well good thing you only need to stay overnight," Horatio said with a light chuckle. "I'll be back to pick you up in the morning."

"Alright," Jessica sighed. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles softly. "I love you, Horatio," she quietly said.

"And I love you, Jessie Bug," Horatio responded. "I have to go now. I'll be back in the morning."

"Ok," Jessica whispered.

Horatio followed Mac and Stella out of the room. Stella and Horatio quickly matched their pace as they began discussing what Crawford had reported to Stella, while Horatio had waited with Jessica. They were so engrossed in their discussion they hadn't even noticed Mac was no longer following.

Mac stood there outside Jessica's room. He looked in the large windows in the wall of the observation room to where Jessica lay in the bed. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open and she turned and looked out the window at Mac. She smiled at him, but he wasn't able to return the gesture. Something about the gleam in Jessica's green eyes gave Mac a very unsettled feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

"So how's your little Bug?" Stella asked as she encountered Horatio in the hall.

"Bored as hell in our hotel room," Horatio answered. "Apparently being a couch potato isn't for Jessica."

"And she can't go swimming or to the hotel's gym unattended, can she?"

"No, she's still a fainting and fall risk from the concussion. No physical activity for a little longer."

"Poor girl, she's probably just itching to go home."

"Actually, she hasn't even inquired about when we're leaving. I think she's changed her mind about being displeased with being in Chicago."

"Well that's a plus," Stella said as she opened the door to a conference room.

* * *

Horatio opened the door to his hotel suite to find his daughter sprawled across the couch. A movie was playing on the TV, but she seemed to be asleep with her sunglasses on.

"Jess, wake up," he said, shaking her arm. "No napping, doctor's orders."

"I'm not asleep," Jessica snapped. "I have a headache still. The lights are killing me."

Horatio chuckled and turned to head to the bedroom. He stopped and stared in horror at the moving playing on the TV.

"Jessica!" he snapped, snatching the remote from his daughter's hand. "Do not tell me you actually ordered porn from the hotel movie selection!"

"Then I won't," Jessica said in her whispery voice. "And I won't tell you that's what I've been watching all day."

"Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine!" Horatio snapped, not messing his daughter's rather long name up at all, even in his fury. "I don't care what you and Ryan watch at home, but I will not have you rack up our bill by watching pay for view filth! Do you even realize that Internal Affairs is going to question why the bill is so high? They may even ask for a review of the charges! What am I supposed to tell them when they inquire as to why a dozen different pornographic movies were charged to our room?"

"The same reason the mini bar is out of Bailey's," Jessica empathically said, not evening bothering to move from the couch.

"Jessica Caine!" Horatio snapped, switching to a shorter version as his anger mounted. "I know you did not drink alcohol with the pain killers the doctors prescribed you!" Horatio knelt in front of the mini bar. It was obvious several of the small bottles were missing.

"Guilty," Jessica said in the same whispery voice.

"Jessica, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're not acting like yourself!" Horatio continued to yell. He clenched his fists, trying to fight his own rage.

"You want to hit me, don't you?" that same whispery voice said. "You want to hit me and teach me a lesson. Just like your father did to you."

Horatio swore his vision went completely red at her words. He turned and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He bit at his own knuckle, trying to fight the desire she was so right about. He paced the room, attempting to distract himself from the rage that burned within him.

She continued to lay on her back on the couch. She slowly lowered her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose, staring with her green eyes at the door that Horatio had closed between them once again.

* * *

Horatio awoke in the middle of the night when he felt the weight of another body against his own. He recognized the feel of her body, having memorized it long before.

"Jessica," he whispered as he slowly awoke. "Jessie Bug, I'm sorry I yelled at you."

She didn't say anything in response. Instead she pressed her lips against his, kissing him passionately.

Horatio was shocked and tried to push her away. She grasped his shoulders and pinned him down as she tried to force his lips apart. Horatio continued to fight her off, but shock and sleep weakened him against her strong body.

Her hand was suddenly inside his pajama pants. She cupped him and stroked him, trying to force him to become erect. Horatio panicked as physiology took its course and the blood flowed to his groin. She sucked on his bottom lip as he pushed against her. He managed to break his mouth free from hers. He continued to push her away, but she held on tight to his groin.

"Jessica," he managed before she tried to latch onto his mouth again. "Jessica, what the hell are you doing?"

"I know you want me, Horatio," she said in the same whispery voice from that afternoon. "You just didn't know I was here."

Cold chills ran through Horatio's body at the sound of her words. He reached over and turned on the lamp on top of the bedside table. He blinked a few times before his eyes adjusted. He felt like his heart had stopped when his blue eyes locked with her green ones.

"Elizabeth," he whispered.

She smiled at him. It was cold and eerie, like seeing a ghost.

"I knew you would recognize me," she said. She attached her mouth to his once again, this time managing to get her tongue in his mouth. It felt slimy and wrong.

A sudden strength overcame Horatio and he shoved her hard. She hit the floor of the hotel bedroom with a thud. She looked up at him with a hurt expression.

"I thought you said you loved me," she said in her whispery voice.

"Not like that," Horatio tried to explain. He sat up and stared down at her, drawing his legs close to his body. "I told you I love you because you're my daughter. Not because I'm in love with you."

Her face contorted with rage. She stood to her feet and glared at him.

"You mean you told Jessica you love her," she said in her small voice.

It seemed Horatio merely blinked and she was gone. He sat there alone, feeling lost and vulnerable.

* * *

Horatio nearly jumped out of his skin when Stella touched his arm the next morning. He took a deep breath and hoped she hadn't noticed his fear.

"Is everything alright, Horatio?" she inquired.

"Everything's fine," Horatio muttered as he moved away.

Stella wasn't convinced. She followed him, noting he no longer carried himself in the same manner as he had the day before.

"Horatio, something happened to you," she said.

"Nothing's happened, everything's just fine. Please just leave me alone."

"Horatio," Stella quietly said, touching his arm. He quickly drew away and nearly bolted from her.

"Please don't touch me!" he quickly said.

Stella stood there shocked. But she was determined to make him talk.

"Horatio, I don't know what happened to you, but I have a very bad feeling," she whispered to him. "I've seen this behavior before in certain victims."

"I'm not a rape victim," Horatio angrily muttered as he walked away again.

"Oh, so you see it yourself," Stella snapped, no longer caring about being sensitive towards the redhead.

"I don't see anything."

"Then please explain why you're acting like a five year old girl who's father just touched her inappropriately," Stella demanded.

Horatio froze. Her words had stung him hard. Stella covered her mouth as the situation became clearer to her.

"Oh god," she whispered, "You don't mean."

"Nothing happened," Horatio muttered. He was unable to move away this time. Something cemented him in place. He knew it was fear.

"Horatio, please, talk to me," Stella gently said.

Horatio couldn't bring himself to face her, but he knew he needed to tell someone.

"I woke up and she was on top of me," he quietly began. "She didn't say anything. She just started kissing me."

"And then what happened?" Stella said, trying to gently encourage him to continue.

"Then she had her hand in my pants," Horatio whispered. "I didn't know what to do."

"Oh Horatio," Stella quietly said. She gently touched his upper arm. She could see him fighting the urge to pull away. "We need to find Jessica. Is she still at the hotel?"

"No, she left. I don't know where she is."

"I'll tell Crawford to put out a BOLO," she said, turning to leave.

"No, don't!" Horatio quickly said, grabbing her arm.

Stella stared at him in amazement.

"Horatio, Jessica needs to be brought in," she quietly said. "Whether or not you press charges, what she did was a crime. Your daughter molested you. She needs to at least learn the seriousness of her actions."

"It wasn't Jessica," Horatio said so quietly Stella almost didn't hear him.

"I'm sorry, what?" she quietly said.

"It wasn't Jessica who did it," Horatio said again.

"There was another woman in your hotel room?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

Horatio swallowed hard and tried not to let the fear overcome him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It was Elizabeth," he whispered. "Elizabeth Johnson was in my hotel room with me."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

"It's not possible," Crawford said as he listened to Stella's allegation. "Elizabeth Johnson Caine has been dead for fifteen years. There's no way she could have been in Horatio's hotel room last night."

"That's what Horatio's telling me," Stella said. "And I trust Horatio Caine with my life."

Mac sat in a chair off to the side in Crawford's office, watching Stella and Lieutenant Crawford bicker back and forth about Horatio's claim of having been sexually molested by a dead girl.

"Bring me evidence that shows she was there," Crawford said. "Then maybe I'll listen to this nonsense. Until then, I'm going to put a BOLO out on Jessica Caine."

"With all due respect, sir, you can't do that," Stella continued to argue. "Jessica Caine is a Miami Dade Police Officer and Crime Scene Investigator. If word gets out she's wanted for molesting her own father then her career is over. Besides, we don't have any non-circumstantial evidence that places Jessica Caine in the hotel room, either."

Crawford sighed and sat at his desk, the leather of his chair creaking under his weight. Mac watched him consider his options for a moment before he stood and left the room. He wandered through the Chicago Police office before he found the person he was looking for. He sat on the couch in the lounge next to Horatio and waited for the other man to talk.

"I couldn't believe what Jessica was doing," Horatio finally whispered after several minutes of silence. "She just forced her way into my bed and then into my pants. She was forcing me to become aroused for her."

"It wasn't Jessica," Mac quietly said. "You don't have to hide it, Horatio. I don't think you're crazy for saying that your dead daughter was in your bedroom last night. There's something more to this. Something we don't even know yet. Something that Elizabeth knows that we don't."

"She knew she wasn't really dead," Horatio whispered. "There never was an Elizabeth, really. Jessica began her life as Elizabeth Johnson. Then she went to prison and received a plea bargain: her protection for names of know gang overlords. She went into witness protection. She made herself into a new person."

"But you always knew Elizabeth was really gone," Mac said.

Horatio slowly shook his head.

"My daughter isn't crazy," he muttered.

"I didn't say Jessica was crazy," Mac reassuringly said. "What I meant was I believe you when you say Jessica and Elizabeth are two different people."

"She's not crazy."

"No, but I think we might need to consider there's something very mentally wrong going on with her right now. For starters, we don't know who's in control right now."

"Horatio, Mac," Stella said as she rushed into the room, "Crawford just got a call about a liquor store robbery gone wrong. The suspect matches Jessica's description."

* * *

"This guy came in with a gun, threatening to blow my head off if I didn't give him all the cash in my register," the store clerk recited. "Then this blonde woman came in with a gun. She started yelling at him and then she shot him. She left without even looking at me once."

Mac stood over the dead body of the young man. He was barely thirty years old. He had three gunshot wounds to the chest. His dingy white t-shirt was soaked with blood. Mac knelt beside the body for a closer look. He stared at a discoloration on the man's skin.

"Can you please pull back the neck of his shirt for me?" he asked the coroner.

The middle aged man nodded his head and did as he was asked. Mac examined the tattoo on the right side of the young man's chest. It was a heart with a dagger going through it with a crown around the hilt of the knife.

"Gang insignia," Horatio quietly said from behind him. "Crimson Crip Kings to be exact."

Mac rose to his feet and looked apprehensively at the redhead.

"You have experience in this area," Mac said.

Horatio nodded his head.

"One of the reasons that Elizabeth was always in the juvenile detention center was because of gang activity. She was a member of the Crimson Crip Kings, not by choice though."

"That's what the scar on Jessica's chest is, isn't it?" Mac inquired, remembering the patch of skin over Jessica's right breast.

"Yes, my first wife wouldn't let me take her in to have it removed. So Izzy burned it off using hot grease during Thanksgiving one year," Horatio quietly explained.

"Haven't had deep fried turkey since, huh?" Mac asked, trying not to let Horatio's thoughts self destruct.

"No," the redhead whispered.

"Did Jessica have a beef with anyone when she left Chicago?" Mac inquired.

"No," Horatio quietly answered, "But Elizabeth had about two dozen when she died."

* * *

Jessica could feel her body shaking from fear. She didn't know why she was so scared, but knew it had something to do with how helpless she was.

"You know the store clerk isn't going to tell them it was you, don't you?" she quietly asked.

"Shut up," Izzy snapped at her. "I don't need to hear this from you, of all people."

"The police don't know what you look like, but they know what I look like."

"Can't you ever shut up for even one second?"

"Sorry, you just murdered someone and now the police are going to be after me, not you."

"Shut your face or I'll shut it for you!"

"Good luck. You do that and we both die."

"Not necessarily."

"You know how this works, Elizabeth. You know we both can't live."

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that. In case _you_ didn't notice, I've been living this way for the last fifteen years. So I'm going to get my money's worth while I still can."

Jessica stared at her with a hard expression. Then she looked down at her hands and felt helpless once again.

* * *

"I don't think that's her," the store clerk said as he looked at the picture provided by Horatio.

"What looks different?" Stella inquired.

"Well, her hair seems less curly then the girl who was here. And she holds herself in a different manner then that girl did."

"What do you mean?" Stella asked as she wrote down her notes.

"Well, this girl," he pointed to the picture, "looks confident, sure footed. Believe me, I can tell all of that just from this picture. That girl seemed a little frightened, though that man was more frightened of her. She was also a little clumsy. She knocked into a few shelves and tipped over that display, over there." He stared hard at the picture. "This girl looks happy, too. That girl that came in looked like she was coming down from something, like she had been strung out at some point."

"Ok, can you remember anything else?" Stella asked, hoping to get something useful.

"Yeah, she wasn't wearing that ring." He pointed to the silver ring with the pink stone in the picture. "But she had a tan line, like it had been there, or another ring."

"Did she look like this girl in the picture at all?"

"Yeah, a little, like they were maybe sisters, or something."

Stella nodded her head and went to tuck the picture into her notebook.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith, you've been very helpful."

"Can I see that picture one more time?" the clerk asked.

"Sure," Stella answered, drawing out the picture once more.

The clerk studied it hard, holding it close to his face. He looked up at Stella and she could see something new in his eyes as realization played through his thoughts.

"This girl has blue eyes," he said. "The girl who was in here had green eyes."

* * *

Horatio watched as the Chicago Officers pulled apart his hotel room and luggage. He couldn't help but blush when they opened Jessica's suitcase and found a stash of condoms and shifted through her sexy bras and panties.

"You sure about-" one officer began but Horatio cut him off.

"She has a boyfriend! She's an adult. What she does is her business."

The officer shrugged his shoulders and continued his sorting.

"I'm just saying it seems kind of weird to pack these kinds of things when you're traveling on business with your father, especially since you have a hotel room with one bed."

"So my daughter and I don't mind sharing a bed," Horatio hissed at him as he paced in front of the windows. "What's it matter to you if my daughter still comes crying to me if she has a nightmare sometimes? Maybe sometimes, no matter how old she gets, she's still my little girl! She's still that terrified twelve year who's having dreams about people in her life killing her!"

The officer stared at Horatio with a struck expression. He silently turned back to where Jessica's suitcase sat on the bed.

Lieutenant Crawford entered the room, obviously trying to ignore the argument he had just overheard.

"Have you found her weapon, Hicks?" he asked the officer.

"Not yet," the officer quietly replied.

"Found it," another uniformed officer said as he walked in carrying Jessica's purse. He held her department issued glock in a gloved hand.

"Did Jessica ever travel with a backup weapon or any other kind of gun?" Crawford asked Horatio.

Horatio stood with his back turned, staring out the window at the city he once called home.

"Yes and no," he quietly said. "Jessica always brought along her backup, but never any other guns when it was business. She didn't want the hassle of remembering to take all of her guns with her, since hotel housekeeping staff have a problem with guns in their suites."

"Well it seems her backup weapon is here, too," the same officer said, pulling out a smaller revolver.

Horatio silently cursed inside his head. He didn't know what to think anymore. He wasn't even sure if his daughter was who she said she was all these years. He suddenly wondered had been going on in her head for the last decade and a half.

* * *

"None of the rounds recovered from the scene match either gun from Jessica or Horatio's weapons," Stella reported to Mac and Crawford as they met in a conference room at the station.

"So she got another weapon," Crawford said. "Guns are like candy around here. They're hot commodity."

Mac stared out the window. The city looked very similar yet so different from his hometown of New York. The buildings were tall, almost stacked on top of each other, but not as crowded. He watched as the El Train thundered past a few blocks away.

"Jessica had a promise ring," he quietly said.

"Yeah, a Tiffany, sterling silver and a rose zircon stone," Stella recited, not needing her notes to remember the ring on Jessica's left hand.

"The clerk said she wasn't wearing it," Mac continued on.

"Ok, so she took it off."

"No, I don't think Jessica took it off."

"Then who did?"

Mac watched as pigeons scattered as a maintenance worker mowed the grass in a park. They burst through the air, like a gray cloud dispersing after a storm.

"Elizabeth did," Mac quietly said. "And then she pawned it to buy the gun."

"You really think Horatio's crock-pot story about his dead daughter being the one who did all of this is the truth?" Crawford asked.

"Yes, I do," Mac answered, still staring out the window.

"Either way, what kind of daughter fondles her father, trying to force him to have sex with her?"

"Elizabeth Johnson isn't biologically Horatio's," Mac said. "Horatio adopted her when she was fourteen, after her only living parent died."

"Jessica's also adopted by Horatio," Crawford said, not caring anymore about trying to convince everyone else there was only one person.

"But her birth certificate says Horatio Caine is her biological father," Mac answered.

"That's falsified," Crawford nearly snapped. "Jessica Caine isn't a real person. Elizabeth Johnson and Jessica Caine are the same person."

Mac turned and finally looked at the older Lieutenant. His gaze was hard as he stared at Crawford.

"That's where we disagree, Lieutenant."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

"Please stop this," Jessica asked as she gasped for air. She felt her back pressed against the cold brick of the alleyway. "You're not helping anyone by killing the ones who did you wrong."

"You're just saying that because you've never had to suffer the indignity of being raped," Izzy snapped.

"Yes I have," Jessica retorted as her legs shook.

"You're wrong! It's my body, not yours! You have no right to claim stake here!"

"Elizabeth, please, let me help you. Let me take you to the hospital. You need help."

"No, you need help. You just want to be in control again."

Jessica was silent as she was dragged along the wet cement. She stared at the gun in her left hand. She wanted to touch the spot where her ring had once been, but there was nothing she could do.

* * *

"This body is still warm," Stella said as she touched the man's neck. "He couldn't have been dead long."

"Blood isn't tacky," Mac observed, tapping his latex covered fingers in the pool of blood beneath the body. "It's warm, too, in fact."

"She can't be far," Stella quietly said.

"There's a blood trail over here," Mac said as he stood and removed his gloves. He drew his glock from its holster as he slowly crept down the alley. Something caught his eye and he barely saw someone duck into the shadows. "Police!" he yelled, displaying his badge and advancing towards the person. "Stop where you are!"

The person turned and ran down the alley and out of sight. Mac took off in a sprint after them, pushing his way through the busy sidewalk. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he could tell who he was chasing.

She ran into the street and dodged traffic. Mac followed her, quickly gaining speed on her. They ducked into another alleyway. She threw trashcans into his path, but Mac easily dodged them, jumping over them before they could knock him to his feet. He gripped his gun tightly when she shot blindly over her shoulder, but he wasn't able to bring himself to return fire.

The chase twined through the streets and dark alleys of Chicago. People scoffed when Mac nearly plowed them to the ground. He barely mumbled an apology as he continued to run after the blonde woman. He was closing in on her in another alley when she caught him off guard, throwing another trashcan in his path, causing Mac to trip this time. He raised his gun but still didn't have the strength to pull the trigger. He quickly resumed his chase. He was almost to her. She looked over her shoulder and Mac could just barely make out the olive green of her eyes.

Something gray flashed through the air and she suddenly fell to the ground. Mac stumbled to a halt next to her. He looked down at her unconscious body as body trickled from her nose.

Mac gasped for air as he looked at Horatio's torn face. The trashcan lid he had been holding clattered to the ground as he turned and walked away.

* * *

Mac stared at where she laid in the hospital bed. She had a large bruise going across the left side of her forehead and what looked like a black eye under her left eye. Her right arm was tethered to the hospital bed at the elbow and wrist, along with her right leg. She looked at him with a pleading look in her left eye, the blue one.

"Who is she?" Mac quietly asked the doctor as she approached where Mac and Horatio stood together.

"Well it's a little confusing," the doctor explained. "It seems she's suffering from Dissociative Personality Disorder. Something traumatic in her life caused her to create an alternative personality, and that's what she's been living."

"So Jessica Caine is the alternative personality," Mac quietly said, trying to follow the strange diagnosis.

"To be honest, we're not sure," the female doctor said. "It seems both personalities are dominant. Elizabeth Johnson controls the left side of the brain and the right side of the body, while Jessica has the right hemisphere and the left side of the body."

"That's why her eyes are two different colors," Mac observed.

"Why is she tied down?" Horatio quietly asked, speaking for the first time since they arrived at the hospital.

"Well it seems Elizabeth has been trying to hurt Jessica now that she's in control of one half of their body," the doctor explained. "She kept striking her. That's where she got the black eye. The bruise on her forehead is from the trashcan lid. When she wouldn't compile we had to physically restrain her."

"What can I do, Dr. Carson?" Horatio quietly asked.

"We're not really sure," Dr. Carson replied. "We can try medication, but there's no guarantee it'll work out the way you want it to."

"What do you mean?" Horatio whispered, the pain evident in his voice.

"She began life as Elizabeth Johnson and made herself into Jessica Caine when she was fifteen. There's a very good chance that if we medicate her Jessica will disappear. There's also the chance that Elizabeth will fade back into the background of her mind."

"So you mean I have to choose which one I want to live," Horatio whispered.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant," Dr. Carson whispered, "But it's the only way they can survive."

"Neither can live while the other survives," Mac whispered. "Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide."

* * *

Horatio sat next to her bed, holding her left hand and gently stroking her hair. A small tear trailed down her cheek as she looked at him with a pained expression.

"What's going on, Daddy?" she whispered.

"The doctors are just trying to figure it out, Jessie Bug," Horatio gently said to her.

The bed rattled and Horatio watched as her right arm struggled in the restraints.

"You mean you're trying to trap me inside my own mind!" she suddenly yelled.

"Daddy, make her go away."

"No! You sent me away fifteen years ago and I'm never going back!"

"Please stop yelling, my head hurts."

"More then just your head is going to hurt when I'm through with you!"

Her arm jerked around in the restraints. The bed frame rattled under the force of her struggle. Horatio reached across and gently placed his hand on her right shoulder.

"Stop it, Elizabeth," he whispered. "You know violence never solves anything."

Her expression softened and she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Horatio," she whispered, clearly moved having been personally addressed by him.

"I know it's you, Elizabeth," he continued to soothingly say. "You don't need to do this."

"Please don't let them make me go away, Horatio," she said in a whispery voice, the same he had heard so many years ago.

"Elizabeth," he whispered. He struggled with the words he wanted to use, but he didn't know how to tell her what he so desired.

A nurse walked in carrying two small paper cups. She tried to give Horatio a reassuring smile as she stepped next to the bed.

"I know this is hard for you," she whispered to Horatio, "but I think you made the right choice."

Horatio silently nodded his head. He watched as the nurse handed one of the paper cups to the young woman lying in the hospital bed, to her left hand. Her entire arm seemed to shake as she stared at the pill inside. She looked at Horatio with a pleading expression.

"Are you sure, Daddy?" she whispered.

Horatio leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I know it seems scary, Bug," he whispered, "but it could be the only way."

She silently nodded her head as she dumped the pill into her mouth. She quickly washed it down with the water in the other cup. She leaned back in her bed and just stared at the wall.

"You're not going to kill me again," she said in her whispery voice.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

"Day three of treatment?" Stella inquired as she matched paces with Horatio in the police department.

"Yes," Horatio whispered.

"Anything seem like its working?" Stella asked.

"Elizabeth is acting out less," Horatio explained. "She doesn't need to be restrained quite as much and she's been surfacing less frequently."

"So Jessica may be the dominant personality after all," Stella commented.

"Yeah, I think she might."

"You don't seem that thrilled about getting your daughter back."

Horatio sighed. He pulled out his wallet and removed a picture, handing it the Stella. She looked it over. It was a much younger version of Horatio, not even thirty years old, with a little girl in his arms, maybe five years old. She had blonde curly hair and olive green eyes.

"I have to loose one all over again just to keep the other," Horatio whispered.

* * *

Jessica rode in the wheelchair as the nurse pushed her down the hall. Her head hurt and her right arm was in a sling.

"Why do I need this if Izzy's gone?" Jessica quietly asked.

"She's still acting out," Dr. Carson explained. "The sling won't completely restrain her, but it will deter her from moving. The less power she has the better your chance of gaining complete control of your body."

"So I'm just going to be the freak that can't control herself," Jessica muttered. "I can already see the MDPD discharge papers."

"Don't fret," Dr. Carson reassuringly said, patting her right shoulder. "Just keep thinking positively and you'll be better before you know it."

"Yeah, except I didn't feel you touch me," Jessica mumbled.

The male nurse helped Jessica into the rental car as Horatio quietly talked to Dr. Carson.

"Everything seems fine, but it's going to take a few more days for the medication to work completely through her system," Dr. Carson explained. "I wouldn't take her home just yet. She's going to struggle for the next week. Keep her in Chicago and create a relaxed and safe environment for her."

Horatio nodded his head. He looked at the prescription bottle in his hand. The pills were blue capsules with tiny letters and numbers on them, spelling out some code he couldn't decipher.

"Thank you, Dr. Carson," he whispered.

Horatio held Jessica's left hand the entire drive back to the hotel room. He could feel how hard she was shaking.

"Everything's going to be ok, Bug," he whispered.

"But she won't leave me alone, Daddy," Jessica quietly said.

"You just need a little more time, Jess. This medication isn't going to work miracles overnight."

"I just want her gone, Dad."

Horatio brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.

"She's not going to hurt you ever again, and I'm going to make sure of that."

* * *

Jessica sat on the couch of her hotel room. She stared out the window, trying to calm her panic. Horatio walked in and sat next to her. He handed her a pill and she tossed it into her mouth. Suddenly she spit it out and fell to the ground. Her right arm struggled in the sling before it tore through and began pounding against her head.

"No!" she screamed. "I won't go away again!"

Horatio dove for her and braced her against his body.

"Let me go!" she screamed, struggling against his hold.

The door opened and Mac rushed in at the sight before him. He clattered to the ground beside Horatio and looked at him for directions.

"What do I do?" he quickly asked.

"Grab that!" Horatio order, jerking his head towards the pill on the floor.

Mac quickly picked up the pill. He forced her mouth open and crammed the capsule down her throat. She gagged and choked for a moment before the pill finally slid down her throat. She gasped for air as her left eye watered. Mac gently held her face in his hands. Her left eye was completely blue but the right one still had traces of green in it.

"How did you get in?" she quietly asked.

"Your father gave me a copy of your hotel cardkey," Mac explained. "He wanted someone else to be able to access your room if need be."

She suddenly started sobbing. Horatio held her tightly against his body as she began to rock and cry.

"Why won't it end?" she whispered in a pained voice.

* * *

Horatio sighed as he took a drink of his coffee. He stared at the table of evidence before him, trying to care about something other then the young woman sitting back at his hotel suite with a Chicago officer, silently fighting herself. Stella walked into the room and smiled at him. She gently touched his shoulders and squeezed them, trying to massage the tension from his body.

"How's your Bug?" she whispered.

"Stressed," he quietly responded. "She's so afraid she's going insane, and there's nothing I can do or say to make her feel better. When I left this morning she cried like a child, because she didn't want to be left alone with herself. Even though there's an officer monitoring her twenty-four-seven, she's still terrified of what she could do to someone or herself." Horatio looked down at his watch and sighed. "I need to go," he said, collecting his things. "I have to take some lunch to Jessica."

"How about I go and you just stay here?" Stella suggested.

"Why?" Horatio quietly asked, trying not to be defensive.

"You're stressed out, too, Horatio," Stella explained. "You just stay here and work on the case. I'm sure seeing another face wouldn't hurt Jessica. You just need to keep your mind off this for awhile."

Horatio sighed and nodded his head.

"Alright," he whispered, handing Stella his hotel cardkey. "Just make sure you tell her I love her."

Stella smiled and gently kissed his cheek.

"I'll take good care of your little Bug," she happily said.

* * *

"Stop it," Jessica whispered. "Stop doing this."

She was sitting in the darkness of her hotel bedroom. The blinds were drawn and the lights turned off. What little light there was danced of the steel blade of her knife.

"You can't do it," she continued to whisper. "It would be murder."

"I've already killed before," Izzy said in her small voice. "So have you."

"Never like you have," Jessica retorted.

"We're not that different, really, Jessica."

"Please don't kill again. He doesn't deserve it."

"No, the only one who doesn't deserve it is me."

Jessica watched helplessly as the door slowly opened. She watched her enter the living room where the Chicago officer sat on the couch. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Feeling better?" he asked her.

She didn't say anything. She walked towards him. His face suddenly grew pale at the sight of the knife in her hand.

"No!" Jessica screamed, but it was no use. She stood there and helplessly watched as blood sprayed across the walls.

* * *

The light on the electronic lock blinked green as Stella swiped the keycard. She opened the door and was immediately met by the bitter smell of blood. She rushed over to where the young officer lay gasping for air, blood pouring from his mouth and abdomen. She grabbed a blanket and pressed it to the wound in his abdomen as she pulled out her cell phone.

"This is Detective Bonasera, I have an officer down and requesting immediate backup!" she yelled at the 911 operator.

Everything happened so fast after that. Paramedics carried away the young officer while a new set of uniforms pulled her into the kitchenette. They began asking the usual questions. Just minutes later Horatio and Mac entered the hotel suite. They found Stella in the kitchen and Horatio's face went pale.

"Where's Jessica?" he quickly asked.

Stella shook her head.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I got her and found Officer Langley on the floor of the living room bleeding. She didn't seem to be anywhere in sight."

"We're putting a BOLO out on her," one of the officers said.

"No, don't!" Horatio quickly argued.

"Lieutenant, with all due respect, your daughter assaulted a police officer and is considered to be armed and dangerous."

"What is she armed with?" Mac inquired, trying to keep Horatio from saying anything he might regret.

"Officer Langley's glock wasn't on him and we haven't found it in the hotel suite. We believe Jessica Caine took it with her."

"No, it wasn't Jessica," Horatio whispered. "Jessica would never do something like this."

"Then who?" Stella quietly asked.

Horatio looked at her with pain in his deep blue eyes.

"It was Elizabeth," he whispered. "Elizabeth Johnson's the dominant personality, not Jessica."

* * *

Jessica's head slammed against the brick wall. Tears streamed down her face as her fingers laced into her blonde hair.

"Please Izzy, stop," she begged. "You don't have to do this. We can manage together."

"No, you would try to send me away again!" Izzy snapped. "You have to disappear this time, not me."

"I thought the medication made me the dominant one," Jessica said, her face pressed against the brick of the building in her old neighborhood.

"That's what I let you think," Izzy sneered. "I knew I was the stronger one. I knew it would help me take over."

"Please Elizabeth, don't do this," Jessica pleaded once more.

"Sorry, Jess, but I know Horatio loves you more," Izzy said as she slammed Jessica's head against the brick wall once more.

Then there was silence. Izzy stood there and listened. For the first time in two decades she couldn't hear Jessica's voice. She laughed. She threw her head back and laughed as victory flooded through her veins. She held up her hands and looked at them. She bent each of her fingers and continued to laugh, knowing she had finally won.

* * *

"We need to figure who it is that Elizabeth's after," Stella explained as the conference room quickly filled with police personnel. "She's already killed three people that we know of and attempted a fourth on Officer Langley. We need to start in her old neighborhood and work our way out. Chances are she's out for revenge."

"What do we do if we find her?" one young officer asked.

"Don't shoot to kill," Stella quickly said. "Jessica Caine has Dissociative Personality Disorder. If you try to kill Elizabeth Johnson then Jessica Caine will also die."

"But I thought she was the one killing people," another officer commented.

"No, Jessica Caine is also a victim here," Mac announced. "She's a prisoner within her own body. She can't control what Elizabeth does."

"What she needs is medical attention," Stella continued on. "She was on medication to prevent the crossover of the two personalities, but we're not sure why it backfired."

"I will say it again," Mac spoke up, "If you harm Jessica Caine in anyway you will be answering to me, and I won't be nice about it."

Officers dispersed, each setting out to search a different part of the vast city of Chicago. Mac and Stella found Horatio sitting alone in the staff lounge. He looked up at them with a distressed expression.

"Please don't let them hurt my little girl," he whispered. "Jessica has been my life for almost thirty years. I can't loose her now."

"Has Elizabeth always had an alternative personality?" Stella gently asked as she sat next to him.

"She used to ask me to call her Jessica sometimes," Horatio quietly explained. "It happened right after her mother died. I thought it was just a phase. Then when she was released from prison on her plea bargain she permanently changed her name to Jessica. She always did want to be just like her mother."

"What do you think happened, Horatio?" Stella asked.

Horatio sighed and rubbed his brow.

"I think Elizabeth was always there. Izzy wanted out of the gang life before she even joined, but she got involved with the wrong kind of people." He stopped for a moment and just stared at the floor. "I wish I had won the custody battle. I sued her biology father for custody, because he wasn't suited to be a parent. He didn't love Elizabeth the way I did. But the judge believed that the best thing for Elizabeth was to stay with her father. Brian swore he wasn't angry with me, but I knew better. Things were never the same between us after that."

"So Elizabeth is the dominant personality," Stella quietly said.

Horatio nodded his head.

"Yes, I should have known that."

"Don't blame yourself, Horatio. You didn't know this was going to happen. You just wanted to help your daughter."

"And now I've destroyed her life," Horatio whispered as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

* * *

She smiled as she walked into the room with the familiar man. He returned the smile, knowing exactly who she was.

"Elizabeth, it's been awhile," he said.

"So it has, Brad," she replied.

"Does this mean you're coming back to your brothers?"

"No, I just thought I'd stop and see you for old times sake." She smirked at him and eyed him over. "I still remember all the things you used to like."

He smiled at her again and began pulling his pants off.

"I'm glad to hear it."

He sank into an armchair as his pants fell to the floor with a light flopping noise. She looked at his forming arousal. She knew just how excited she made him. She knelt to the floor in front of his chair. He spread his legs apart and their eyes locked on each other. Her left hand traveled up his thigh and rested on his hip. She smiled at him again.

"Oh, I almost forgot something, Brad."

She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a gun.

"I've wanted to do this for almost twenty years now," she said.

He didn't have time to react. She pointed the gun at his chin and pulled the trigger. His bottom jaw blew completely off as his brains spattered against the wall behind his head.

She tucked the glock back into her pocket as she rose to her feet.

"Sorry, Brad," she said, "But you were never worth the pain you put me through."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it's been awhile. I've been super busy.**

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

Rain pounded against the glass of the window. Horatio stared out, just watching life pass him by. His daughter had been missing for three days. He didn't have the slightest clue as to where she was. He was worried more then ever about her. Bodies continued to pile up as the days rolled on. Each was a man between the ages of thirty and forty-five. Each had the same tattoo on his chest. Each was chillingly familiar to Horatio.

Mac stood in the doorway and silently watched the Lieutenant fight the demons in his life. He wished there was something he could do or say that would lessen the pain Horatio was undoubtedly feeling, but he knew there wasn't. How did you tell someone you were sorry their daughter had been taken prisoner by her own mind and was now one of the most wanted people in the city?

* * *

Mac drove with Horatio and Stella back to their hotel. Mac and Stella had switched hotels, reserving the suite next to Horatio's. They knew their friend needed them, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Something caught Mac's attention and he quickly turned onto a different street. The car skidded a little over the flooded pavement as the rain continued to pour from the sky.

Someone was walking through the pier towards the footbridge that crossed the Chicago River. Someone soaking wet in a leather bomber jacket with long blonde hair.

"Oh god," Mac whispered as he quickly turned into the pier parking lot.

"What is it?" Stella inquired, leaning forward from the backseat to get a better look.

"I think it's her," Mac said, unsure of what to call her.

Horatio's head shot up and he stared at the slender figure in the pouring rain.

"Jessie," he said so quietly Mac almost didn't catch it.

Mac turned to him but he was too slow. Horatio's threw his door open and ran through the rain.

"Shit!" Mac exclaimed as he and Stella climbed from the car.

The pier amusement park was mostly empty, no one wanting to play games and ride cheap carnival rides in the rain. Horatio ran after her, slipping on the wet boardwalk a few times.

"Jessica!" he yelled. For a moment he thought the rain had drowned out his voice, but she turned and looked at him. Her green eyes locked with his blue ones for a moment before she took off running. Horatio ran after her, knowing he just needed to catch her. He no longer knew who she was or what she had done. He just needed to hold her again.

She ran down the pier, ducking between game booths and ticket tents. She jumped the gate and made a beeline for the footbridge. Horatio pushed himself to go faster as he chased after her. He struggled for a moment before he hopped the gate himself. He could hear something thundering behind him. He knew it was Stella and Mac chasing after him.

They were in the middle of the bridge. She stopped and turned to face him. She held the glock in her right hand, pointing it directly at Horatio's head. He stood there and just looked at her, pleading with his eyes.

"Elizabeth," he finally gasped, "it doesn't have to be like this. Just give me the gun and let me help you."

"No!" she yelled. "You don't want to help me! You want to get rid of me! You think I'm a bad egg! You want me to disappear!"

"Izzy, dear, I love you. Please let me get you the help you need."

She pulled back the safety and Horatio could hear the hammer click, even through the pouring rain.

"Only one of us can live while the other survives," she quietly said.

Horatio froze. He watched as her finger settled on the trigger.

"Sorry Horatio. I always loved you."

Suddenly her left hand flew up and grabbed her right wrist. It jerked her right arm back as the gun went off.

"What? No!" she screamed as she continued to struggle with herself.

"Drop it, Izzy!" she yelled, her voice louder, bolder this time.

"Make me, bitch!"

Horatio watched in amazement as she seemed to fight with herself. Her left arm pulled at the right while her eyes clamped shut. When she opened her eyes again her left eye had turned an ocean blue color.

Jessica growled as she pulled at Izzy's arm with the gun.

"You're not going to hurt my father!" she yelled at her.

Izzy spun her around and slammed Jessica's side into the railing of the footbridge. Jessica yelped in pain but continued to fight her off. She smashed Izzy's wrist onto the metal railing, just barely able to hear the crunching of bone. Izzy lost her grip on the gun and it fell the twenty feet to the water. Izzy yelled in frustration. She turned and punched Jessica hard in the face. Jessica's head flew back but she managed to bite Izzy's knuckle, causing her to reel backwards in pain.

Mac and Stella slowed to a trot next to Horatio on the footbridge. They watched as the young blonde woman continued her battle with herself.

"Oh my god," Stella whispered. "Are Jessica and Izzy actually fighting right now?"

"Yes," Horatio barely whispered.

Izzy twined her fingers into Jessica's hair and slammed her head against the metal railing. She felt her head hit before the world went black.

Izzy struggled to her feet. She could hardly move the left side of her body. She grasped the railing and flinched in pain from her broken wrist. She looked at where Horatio stood with Stella and Mac.

"Neither can survive while the other lives," she said. She pressed her lower back against the railing and allowed herself to fall backwards off the bridge.

"Jessica!" Horatio screamed as he ran for where she stood. His hands flailed, trying to grab her before it was too late. He watched as her body fell towards the water. He jumped over the railing and watched as her body broke through the surface of the water just moments before his own.

"You go north and I'll go south!" Mac ordered as he took off running down the bridge.

"Got it!" Stella yelled in response.

Horatio fought against the current. The water was stronger because of the rain. He gasped for air as the strong current pushed him towards her. Her head bobbed up and down in the water, as if she didn't even care if she drowned. He finally managed to gather her into his arms and pulled her towards the shore. She grasped his upper arms and pulled him close, planting her feet on the riverbed floor. She kissed him passionately and ran her hands across his body.

"Don't do it," she whispered to him. "Please don't let her come back."

"I'm sorry, Izzy, but I have to," Horatio quietly said to her.

"Horatio," Izzy said, cupping his face in her hands, "Just think about it. We could finally be together, just like we've both always wanted. We could love each other and no one would get in the way. We could have what we've always wanted, because I know you love me the same way I've always loved you."

Horatio stared deep into her olive green eyes. He ran his hands through her wet blonde hair and tangled his fingers into her soft locks. He brought her face to his and kissed her tenderly. Her lips molded against his and she sucked on his bottom lip. He pulled her away. He looked at her one last time, tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," he whispered.

Izzy looked at him with her large green eyes.

"Sorry about what?" she asked him.

"That I have to do this," Horatio whispered as the tears grew heavier.

"Do what?" Izzy said, as she slowly felt the panic set in.

"I can't have you and Jessica," he whispered in his husky voice, his grip tightening on her hair. "And if I had to pick between the two of you, I'd choose Jessica."

Izzy stared at him in shock.

"But Horatio," she whispered, "I love you. I can give you all the things Jessica can't."

"I'm sorry, Izzy," Horatio whispered again.

He shoved her under the water and held her down. Izzy thrashed and fought against him, but to no avail. She clawed at his forearms, as the tears streamed down Horatio's face. She struggled against his hold on her hair, but his fists were clenched like vice grips. Slowly the fight began to leave her, until she suddenly stopped moving all together.

Horatio pulled her above the water and held her body in his arms as he fought against the current of the Chicago River and the rain pounding down on his body. He laid her out on the ground and immediately began performing CPR. He compressed her chest with every ounce of strength he had. He pressed his lips against hers, trying to breathe the life back into her body.

Mac stumbled down the muddy hill and knelt beside him. He looked at her lifeless face and then at Horatio's, his tears obvious even through the rain.

"What happened?" Mac asked, dread filling his veins.

"I killed her," Horatio said as he began pushing against Jessica's chest once again.

"You killed her?" Mac asked, shocked.

"Yes, I drowned Izzy," Horatio whispered.

"Why?" Mac reached across and pressed his hand against her neck. There was no pulse.

"It was the only way to get my Jessie Bug back," Horatio said in an almost inaudible voice.

Mac touched her already ice cold skin. She was dead; there was no doubt in his mind.

"You killed her," he whispered.

"Yes, and if I can't get her heart beating again in the next sixty seconds they'll both be gone for good."

She suddenly coughed and water spewed from her mouth. Horatio rolled her onto her side and rapped her on the back. She coughed and heaved for air and rolled back onto her back. She looked up at Horatio with eyes the color of the Miami sky.

"Daddy," she whispered as she continued to gasp for air.

"Jessica," Horatio whispered, gathering her into his arms and holding her body close against his own.

"Daddy, she's gone," she said in a soft voice. "Izzy's gone. I can't hear her anymore. She's really gone this time."

Horatio held her tight in his strong arms. He buried his face into her hair.

"I know, Bug," he whispered.

"You killed her."

"Yes, I'm sorry, Jessie, but I killed Izzy."

"It's ok," she whispered so softly Horatio thought he imagined it. "I forgive you."

Mac knelt there in the mud, shocked at what he had witnessed.

"Jessica came back," he quietly said.

Horatio nodded his head, not looking at him and never letting go of Jessica.

"I knew she would," he said.

"But how did you know it would bring Jessica back and not Izzy?"

"Father's intuition," Horatio whispered. "I just knew."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

* * *

"I'm really not sure how it happened, but all I can say is this," Dr. Carson explained as she walked with Horatio through the corridor of the hospital. "We've ran every test possible and there is absolutely no evidence of Jessica having Dissociative Personality Disorder. In fact, none of the tests suggest she has any mental health conditions."

Horatio was silent as he listened. It had been two days since he had found Jessica. The doctors and physiologist tested her again and again, but each time came up empty. The Chicago Police Department had investigated the suspicious deaths, only to come up empty handed when there was no physical evidence or eye witnesses that could place Jessica at the crime scenes. In fact, each witness claimed they had never seen Jessica Caine before in their life.

"Give her another day and I'd say you're good to go to take her home, Lieutenant," Dr. Carson continued, though Horatio was hardly listening.

They entered the hospital room and Jessica looked up at him with her deep blue eyes. Horatio leaned down and gathered her into his arms. Tears flooded his eyes as he began sobbing uncontrollably. Jessica reached up and gently stroked his red hair.

* * *

Mac Taylor walked into the small, shady looking pawn shop. It was the third one he had been to that day, the seventeenth in the last two days. He wandered around, looking into display cases at various pieces of jewelry. He stopped when he saw the large pink stone. He stood in front of the case, waiting for the owner to finish with his current customer. Finally he stepped in front of Mac and smiled. His teeth were encased in a gold grill.

"How can I help you, sir?"

"I'd like to see that ring," Mac said, pointing to the silver and pink ring in a black velvet case.

"Good choice," the owner said, lifting the ring from the display. He gingerly placed it on the glass counter in front of Mac.

Mac lifted it from the padding and held it up to the light. He turned it over again and again in his hand. He held it close to his face and could just barely make out the jeweler's insignia.

"Genuine Tiffany," the pawn shop owner said proudly.

"I'll take it," Mac said, slipping the ring into his pocket.

"Sir, you have to pay for that first," the owner nearly growled.

Mac pulled his NYPD badge from his pocket and held it up for the shop owner.

"I know you're not running a legal business here," he said to the owner. "Now, I'm willing to overlook it and not peruse criminal charges if you'll give this ring to me."

The owner's face was pale. He slowly nodded his head. Mac slipped his badge back into his pocket and walked out the door. He nodded at Lieutenant Crawford, who rushed into the shop with two other officers.

* * *

Jessica touched her ring finger. Pain filled her veins at the thought of having to explain to her boyfriend she had lost it. She knew he had spent so much on it and how much it meant to both of them. She brushed the tears away as her father sat next to her in the airport terminal.

"It's ok, Bug," Horatio whispered. "Ryan will understand."

"I know," Jessica whispered in response. "I just wish I had taken better care of it. I wish I could have protected it from her."

"Don't talk about her anymore," Horatio whispered in her ear, wrapping his arm around her slender body. "You need to just go home and relax and heal, doctor's orders."

Jessica nodded her head, still wringing her hands and touching where her ring should have been.

Boarding for their flight was announced. Horatio and Jessica stood together. They collected their carry on bags and walked towards the gate.

"Horatio! Jessica!"

They turned to see Mac Taylor running towards them. He stopped before them and gasped for air for a moment.

"I'm glad I caught you," Mac said. "I have something that belongs to you, Jessica."

Jessica looked at him confused.

"You have something of mine?" she quietly said.

Mac nodded his head and dug into his pocket. He pulled his hand back out, holding Jessica's silver ring with the pink stone between his forefinger and thumb.

Tears flooded Jessica's eyes as she covered her mouth in shock. She reached out and took the ring from Mac. She looked it over and continued to cry from joy.

"This is it," she said through her tears. "I know it is. I would know this ring anywhere."

Horatio gently took it from her and examined it. He smiled as he slid it back onto her left hand. He kissed her temple and held her close.

"Thank you, Mac," he quietly said.

"It's the least I could do for you," Mac said with a smile. "You've both been through so much these last few weeks. You needed something good to finally happen."

Boarding for the flight to Miami was announced once again, just before the voice on the intercom announced that the flight to New York was departing.

"Mac, you missed your flight," Jessica quietly said.

Mac shrugged his shoulders.

"There'll be another," he said. "But I knew I would only have one chance to find this ring. I knew you needed to have it back."

Jessica wrapped her arms around his body and cried into his shoulder. Mac smiled and gently held her.

"Now you need to go before you miss your flight," Mac gently said to her. "The next flight to Miami doesn't leave for another four hours. So get going."

Horatio reached out and grasped his hand.

"Thank you, Mac," he said, the sincerity in his words evident. "You didn't have to go this."

Mac shrugged again.

"I had to do something," he quietly said again.

Mac stood alone in the airport as he watched the white airplane take off into the sky. His phone rang. He looked to see Stella's number flashing across the screen. He hit ignore, knowing she would be giving him the fifth degree for missing their flight, and making her fly alone.

* * *

Ryan smiled as he embraced his girlfriend. He kissed her gently and stroked her cheek, looking deep into her ocean blue eyes.

"Do I dare ask why you have a black eye and a cast on your arm?" he quietly asked her.

Jessica giggled and looked deep into his hazel eyes.

"If I told you, you'd think I made the whole thing up."

* * *

**And done! Told you Ryan didn't make an appearance until the very end. I hope everyone enjoyed it! It was interesting using characters I don't normally use.  
Peace Out! ~KC**


End file.
